Monday, March 22, 2010

A quick laugh as we turn into the home stretch for Pesach

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is nothing to laugh about. It is a condition in which the brain gets stuck, which appears to result from a miscommunication between the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the caudate nucleus of the basal ganglia and the thalamus. It is a heart-breaking mental disorder, characterized by intrusive thoughts (the obsessive component) that can produce extreme anxiety, and prompt repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing this anxiety (the compulsive component). That being said, I have found in clinical practice that a combination of acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, nutraceuticals and Chinese medicine can be very successful in resolving it, without needing to resort to mild altering pharmaceuticals.

Erev Pesach is a very special time as we search inside of ourselves as well in our homes for Chometz, literally, as well as for its metaphor: arrogance. May Ha-Shem help us to succeed in our search and destroy mission, and may we bring in Pesach with lots of love and support for each other, and with hearts purified of chametz!

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Traditional Jewish Medicine is an approach to healing that uses Torah principles to help treat illness. TJM views the physician and patient as partners, looking for clues as to the pathogenesis of the patient’s illness. The physician as messenger addresses health issues in an integrative manner, treating the whole person rather than local signs and symptoms. TJM is the roadmap to promoting our health, balancing our lives, and enabling us to hold the bounty we have been blessed with.

About Me

I chose to practice medicine 15 years ago after being in business for 21 years.
As a chassidic Jew, I find that being a practitioner of Traditional Jewish and Chinese medicine seamlessly fits into my lifestyle. Judaism teaches that when illness strikes, a person needs to ground himself introspectively, determining in which ways his life is out of balance, and do whatever needs to be done to put himself back in a state of connectivity: with himself, his community, and with G-d. I have used this same model to formulate the 10 Principles of Traditional Jewish Medicine (TJM) and to treat my patients. By addressing the whole person — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually — I have been able to resolve health issues that have stubbornly resisted conventional medical treatment. Each patient’s individual constitution, nature, and life experiences (including traumas) represent the pieces of the map in their unique individual path toward healing and balance. My job as a practitioner is to listen, put the pieces together, and empower the patient to heal himself.